Part 7 (2/2)
They had been gone but five minutes when he heard the crack of a rifle behind them.
”Do you think they are sure to be able to hold that place?”
”They are safe for some time, anyhow,” Zeke said. ”As soon as the redskins see they are brought to a stand they will draw off and wait till the bands that have gone up the other valleys join them. No doubt, as soon as they had made out our tracks again, they sent a kipple of men off to fetch them back, but I reckon they wouldn't have seen them till they got four or five miles down, and by that time the other bands would have been as much farther up the side-valleys, and the messengers would have a long ride before they overtook them--ten or twelve miles, maybe--and they would have all that to come down again, so they would be pretty well four hours before they had joined the first band, and in four hours it will be dark enough for Dave to draw off.”
”There they go again!”
Shot after shot echoed among the cliffs. The gorge extended for another mile, and then widened rapidly. A mile and a half farther the sides were clad with trees, and the slope, although still steep, was, Zeke said, possible for horses to scramble up.
”They will go up there safe enough,” he said, ”five of them with nothing to carry, and the other four ain't heavy loaded. You see them two trees standing alone on the crest there?”
”I see them, Zeke.”
”Well, that is to be your mark. You will make them out plainly enough in the moonlight. I shall be just down beyond them. I need not tell you to be keerful how you go when you get beyond the shelter of the trees below. Dave will know all about that. Now you can be off back again.”
d.i.c.k started back at a run, and in less than half an hour joined the other three among the rocks.
”Found a place, lad?”
”Yes; they have started up.”
”I am glad you are back. These fellows look as if they were going to make an attack on us. They are about five-and-twenty of them, and I guess they know as well as we do that it will be dark before their friends join them. However, I don't think they will make a rush; they will lose heart when three or four of their number get shot, and weaken when it comes to climbing these rocks in face of our six-shooters. Now, do you two lads keep below; get down right among the rocks, so that you can fire out through some hole between them, and directly you have fired get out of the line, for a stray bullet might come in.”
Scarcely had the boys taken their position, and looked along their barrels, when they saw a dozen dark figures spring up among the rocks fifty yards away.
Two shots were fired by the miners, and two of the Indians fell forward; then, one after another, the lads fired, as they felt sure of their aim, while at the same moment two sharper cracks sounded close to them, for the Colt at forty yards is as deadly a weapon as a rifle. Three more of the Indians fell, and the rest sank down behind rocks and opened fire at the position held by the whites. These reloaded rapidly.
”Now keep a sharp lookout,” Dave said, ”but don't fire unless they rise again. Joe and I will make it hot for them as they raise their heads to take aim.”
The rifles were fired but twice, and then the fire of the Indians ceased.
”I think we have accounted for two more,” Joe said. ”We shan't hear any more of them. Seven out of twenty-five is a sharp lesson, and the first man who fell was their chief, I reckon, and they will wait till the sub-chiefs with the other bands come up. Now, the sooner the sun goes down the better. There is one thing, it will be dark down here an hour before it is on the hill-tops.”
”Why shouldn't we fall back at once?” Tom asked.
”Because, like enough, they will open fire occasionally, and if we didn't reply they would think we had made off, and would follow us, and pick up the trail where the horses left the valley. We have got to wait here until it is too dark for them to follow the trail. The moment it is dark enough for that we are off.”
It was just getting dusk, when Dave said, suddenly:
”There is one of the other bands coming up. They are a good bit away yet, but I can hear them.”
d.i.c.k could only make out a low, continuous murmur that sounded to him like a distant waterfall.
”What do you think, Joe,” Dave said; ”would it be safe to make a run for it? We might beat off the first attack, but some of us are safe either to get killed or hurt too badly to travel. They will talk for a quarter of an hour at least after they come up, and by the time they find we have gone, and got their horses over these rocks, and got down to the mouth of this gorge, it will be too dark for them to follow the tracks.”
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